Attorneys for Hawley ask judge to quash subpoena

JEFFERSON CITY - Attorneys for Sen. Josh Hawley asked a Cole County judge to quash a subpoena in connection with a lawsuit over public records requests.

In a motion filed Thursday, Hawley's attorneys said the subpoena should be quashed because it was not properly served, there is no basis for believing Hawley has relevant evidence and depositions of high-ranking public officials are improper unless truly necessary.

Elad Gross, a Democratic candidate for attorney general in 2020, wants Hawley, a Republican, "to answer questions under oath about his involvement in violating Missouri's public records law during his time as the state's Attorney General."

Hawley was Missouri's attorney general before being elected to the U.S. Senate in November 2018.

Hawley's attorneys said Gross filing the subpoena is "a transparent attempt to bolster his own political prospects and harm the Senator."

In an interview with KOMU 8 News, Hawley said he's "not going to be part of any political stunt."

In response, Gross said he decided to run for office after seeing "how deep the corruption went."

In August 2018, Gross sent a public records request to Republican Gov. Mike Parson asking for records of communication between the governor's office and 27 "groups and individuals Gross identified in his dark money investigation," according to a news release.

Gross said he filed the lawsuit after the governor said he would not waive a more than $3,600 fee for the documents.

Part of Gross' lawsuit alleges Parson and Hawley cooperated to prevent the release of records that would hurt Hawley's Senate campaign.

Gross said he's "sorry to see that Senator Hawley does not want to cooperate."